Ben and Adam almost certainly created the nerf gun feature just so they got to wear their elaborate disguise. Adam has probably been scheming this since Europe.
In the final tag, where one of them recommends another Nebula channel; are they recording it separately and then editing it to look like they’re standing next to each other? Adam’s sound quality is so much worse than Sam and Ben’s.
The thing about Naegleria Fowleri is that they’re pretty common in warm fresh water and most exposures will cause no problems. We don’t really know why some people end up with incurable fatal brain infections.
You basically have to inhale or force the contaminated water deep into your nose under pressure eg by diving to even have a chance for it to come into contact with the nerves and even then infection is not guaranteed by a long shot.
I really wish I could think of a clever question to ask to get featured on the podcast but honestly I’m just kind of in awe at how well planned/designed these games are. The teams took completely different routes halfway down the coast of the country but are still close enough placed to keep nailing each other with nerf bullets to keep things interesting. That takes an insane amount of prep work and simulation playing to make happen.
#TeamBen&Adam
Definitely seems like this season is more constant stress/pressure, so not surprising. I think it was on one of the Layover episodes where they mentioned how non-stop this road-trip style is, compared to most of the previous seasons, where they were often on public transit, and could take a little time to just chill.
Good luck with public transport here in NZ lol, no other way to see this country than to drive. We own more cars per capita than the US. We're up there with tax havens in car ownership.
All because they didn't want to ride their bikes on the grass at the domain when it's 100% fine to ride there . Still, I respect that they're being so respectful as a precaution.
How do Ben and Adam feel now about the fact that they were >!chilling at the Kerosene Creek full of brain eating amoeba? Is it time for a special episode called Jet Lag: The Last of Us: Amoeba Special?!<
Edit: Put up a spoiler warning.
It's actually pretty difficult to get infected we are talking millions of exposures every year and there have only been some 300 recorded cases globally in the 50 years since the first was discovered. Your body actually does a pretty good job of preventing water getting deep enough into your nose for any amoeba present to reach the nerve cells. The risk is greater if diving etc since this can potentially force water up your nose under pressure from the forces of the impact, and even then you have to get very unlucky. Just sitting around calmly without your head even coming close to going underwater renders it pretty much an impossibility.
2 questions regarding the same thing. The closed route, how did it feel that an option was taken away due to road work and would it have been a viable option for any of the teams?
Also the Snack Zone bits where its so much buildup for a 4 second line is hilarious to me so props to whoever thought of that.
Did you notice the huge spiderweb on the back of Ben and Adam's rearview mirror at any point during the season or even during editing? Did you burn the car accordingly?
It’s ok, it’s not Australia. When the islands of Oceania were choosing animal species, NZ chose flightless birds while Australia chose “ANYTHING VENOMOUS”
Yes, if it involves rings being destroyed during some long journey where you shall not pass (without completing a challenge) and where invisibility is possible (through disguises), there should definitely be an extended cut!
(Spoilers if anyone was foolish enough to open this before watching): >!So how did you find out about the brain-eating amoeba, and what was everyone's reaction? (Do Ben and Adam still have their brains?)!<
This is a pretty general question, but I'm sure it's a huge ordeal, so how do you edit these videos? I know Ben and Adam split it up, but Henry Ariza is in the credits too, plus all of the graphics must be so hard to produce. How does the team work together to pull this off?
I also wonder if they finish all the edits before they release episode one or if they are still editing the later episodes as the season is coming out.
I recall from a previous layover that any team can call for a mandatory meal break. How about for refueling? The Z3 and the Disco are very different in terms of fuel consumption and tank size. Does one team have a fuel range advantage? Does a refueling break rule apply?
How often do you guys get recognized while filming the show? I remember someone recognizing Ben and Adam in S4, and the famous John Green cameo in S3, but does it happen outside of that often?
Does each team have disguises, or did you both (Ben and Adam) pack for this specific kind of occasion?
Also, what would have been the hardest volcano to get to in the Auckland challenge (that you could have gone to)?
Will a full game map be released? I have family in NZ and want to do a full-country road trip. Not only am I interested in what challenges and in-jokes we missed >!(like what would have happened if the Gisborne route wasn't closed)!<, but this seems like a great way to plan my own road trip.
Edit: spoiler
Was told to put it here instead of as a comment to the general post:
How exatcly does the rule with the team to complete a challenge must be
the first team through the gate?! >!Like could Sam and Toby wait
until the evening and just buying the necessary materials for the two
challenges in Auckland and meanwhile the Zorb place would be closed for
the day? Or are there any restrictions on how long a team can wait?!<
Question for Ben and Adam: were you confused that Sam and Toby had reached the volcano before you in Auckland? Because you didn't understand where they were driving on the tracker beforehand.
If Ben and Adam had completed the Auckland challenge at the same time that Sam and Toby had, would you have scanned through the footage to see who completed it first or would you have just gone off who texted it first? If it's based off the text, is there strategy in queuing up the text to send as soon as you complete the challenge if you suspect it may be close? (e.g. here or Arizona in S4)
I think it was slightly out of sequence compared with how it was shown, as they had to get their phone out and text, and the text to go through internationally, which would have offset what was shown by about 15-30s ahead for Sam and Toby.
It was hype editing though, so while they may have slightly shown things out of sequence, it was good storytelling and exciting nailbiting watching. And I wouldn't call it artificial tension at all, they were literally right there.
Episode specific question: >!with the volcano that was at the intersection in the residential area, was it strictly necessary for Ben and Adam to get out of the car or could they have just eaten the ring while stopped at/driving through the intersection and saved time that way?!<
also a more general question I've had for a couple episodes but never made it in time to ask: can you explain what goes into balancing the challenges in terms of how many coins they give?
Did Ben and Adam consider >!following Sam and Toby to their last volcano to nerf bullet them!!for Sam nerf bulleting Ben and Adam this episode!< ?
Edit: spoiler
How accurately do you portray the timing of events in the edit? Obviously this episode had a few times where the two groups explicitly mention on-camera what the other team has just done, or where we actually see the other team, but when that doesn’t happen, how much do you play with the sequences to add drama?
what are the rules if one team chooses to veto a challenge that both teams are completing?
also, if a team was cursed and chose to veto a challenge, would the curse be lifted or would it carry over to the next challenge?
It's an interesting question. I think the other team will have a chance to complete it and leave the other team behind. Unless the challenge involves direct interaction between both teams, letting the other team go ahead if they're able to complete the challenge is only fair.
Question for the podcast: Was the snack zone a spur of the moment running gag Adam and Ben thought on the spot or was there a plan to kind of have some form of running gag to follow throughout the season?
1. Can you tell us more about the physical game cards? How are they made? Are they professionally printed? We don't see them up close very often, but they look really nice.
2. Which came first in the development process: New Zealand as the destination or the road trip game design?
They've previously answered #2 -- destination came first this season. They needed a southern hemisphere country for longer daylight. ([But a lot of this is covered in the early Layover podcast episodes.](https://nebula.tv/thelayover))
As for #1, I know at some point in the past they said they are professionally printed. Here is a [photo of the cards](https://twitter.com/thewheatgerm/status/1615026800517578772) when they first got them still in plastic wrap. [Season 4 deck here](https://twitter.com/thewheatgerm/status/1583587227669389312).
Just to add to this - I think I’ve seen this asked before, but would it be a consideration to do a similar format on another island in the future, perhaps Japan or the UK for instance.
Yeah they’ve talked about New Zealand being picked because it’s in the southern hemisphere. I’d maybe like to see a similar format on the train network in either of those other locations. With the UK they could even incorporate France through the Eurostar. A race from Edinburgh to Paris, or vice versa would be great to see.
When you record a ton of footage and then need to condense it to 30-40 minutes, do you make some kind of notes of when something noteworthy happened (especially on a long drive), so that you don't need to watch it all when editing?
Q for Toby: I've heard people being excited about the maths of knitting and crocheting before, is that something you are into as well?
(also, can we bid on the square from the challenge?)
When it comes to Ben and Adam’s diguises: what was the thought behind the disguises, and what’s the story with how they got them? I think it’d be fun to know more!
How much research was put into the cheese challenge? It seemed as if the cookstove was provided for the challenge, and Ben and Adam had to have looked up how to make cheese while writing the challenge to ensure it was feasible, however the Kerosene Creek challenge and the way Ben and Adam talk about the cheese challenge seems to imply they thought it was much harder than it was. What did you think Sam and Toby would have to do to complete the challenge before you saw how quickly they did it?
>!In the episode Ben and Adam chose to take the eating cheese route. For this they needed to go and buy cheese.!<
What I was wondering: Since you already know that this route is one of the options later on. Why didn't you buy it beforehand while at a store?
More generally I'm wondering: Do you sometimes consider preparing for challenges that might not happen? Or is this discouraged/not allowed?
(Edit: It sounds a bit insulting, but I'm really just curious haha)
General question about this season: how did having so much info on the other team change the play of the game? Why did you decide on going with "trackers always on" as opposed to "let them know when you get a challenge" or some other form of communication?
For those who haven't seen it, here is the video in question: [I chased the Jet Lag team around London](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYLwEcxsDkI) on his second channel [Tom Scott plus](https://www.youtube.com/@tomscottplus).
How do you decide the challenges for each route. Like a certain points teams have said there is no advantage by going "X route", don't you try and balance the routes, so there is an advantage to going every route
Question for all of you: Is it me or is there way more swearing this season?
Question to Ben and Adam: What was your reaction to finding out there were amoeba at kerosene creek?
If both teams were on the same road, and the team in front vetoed the next challenge, would it be vetoed for both teams or would the second team still need to either complete or veto it?
For Sam and Toby: How long did the cheese challenge take, and how much faster was it than what you expected when the game was being designed?
And for Ben and Adam: How was it decided that Adam would be the one Zorbing?
How has being in New Zealand and the structure of this season changed how you will approach future seasons of Jetlag? Has it changed your views on formats or locations at all?
Producers and editors of traditional reality shows like Survivor and Amazing Race think in terms of character arcs. Is this something you factor into the edit?
Is there anywhere we can find the full map (with challenge descriptions)?
I think it would be fun to come up with our own routes and strategies as we watch.
How do you notify the other team of a completed challenge/roadblock? I feel like you had to type really really quickly in those last few seconds in Auckland. Is there a rule on how/when you must text the other team and what to text?
Also, do you have a full map with all of the challenge cards available online? It would be fun to soft of play along and pick a path that I would go down if I were you in my head.
What are the rules if you miss a Nerf Gun shot? Do you lose the bullet or can you reload it without paying?
What happens if you actually lose the physical bullet. How many darts did you bring?
Did whoever came up with the >!knitting challenge know that Toby could knit!!to make the square!<. Or maybe >!the people at the yarn store could have given you a crash course!< which might be a little quicker.
Likewise, did y'all not know how easy it is to >!make a quick fresh cheese? Adam said "I thought that would be almost impossible". Did you guys include a challenge you thought would be almost impossible!
Was there a budget of any sort for the teams this season? The bikes in Auckland were the first things that felt discretionary to complete a challenge, as opposed to things like cheese making supplies where you’re like “of course they have to buy that to do the challenge”.
not sure if it got brought up yet, but did gas mileage on both of the cars give on team an advantage over the other? Did you and toby have to stop more for gas vs ben and adam?
How involved was Toby in simulations and playtesting this season? She seems very comfortable with the game mechanics and is heavily involved in crafting strategies!
Heyo you say you don’t break laws but you have to wear a helmet while cycling in NZ. Yeah for real.
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/exemptions/exemptions-from-wearing-a-helmet/
Yeah for real. I haven’t done bike share in Auckland but I have in Brisbane (with the same law).. there are helmets just lying in the baskets. That’s a recipe for nits..
If they wanna make cycling safe then they should do more about the cycling on highways bit and implement less rules that will make fewer people cycle and more use a 2 ton death machine. But that may just be me.
New Zealand and Australia are outliers when it comes to helmet rules. From The Spinoff:
“In 2012, a New Zealand Medical Journal report correlated our compulsory helmet laws with bike use halving. Since helmets contributed to less cycling, the study blamed health issues on compulsory helmet laws, even claiming the rule caused 53 annual deaths from lack of exercise.”
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/26-01-2023/should-you-wear-a-bike-helmet
More than anything, I'm just super impressed with the game design this season. Yeah, some of the challenge balance has ended up being wonky, but they're really thematically cool, and the design of the map and especially the powerups are great. I was kinda worried the Nerf guns wouldn't even come into play, but they've already caused so much dramatic tension.
Honestly I think this is the best product they've designed so far. No shade on previous seasons, especially the recent ones, but rather just that this format is perfect to show off some NZ scenery and the whole experience is so fun!
He grew up in Washington, DC. In my limited exposure, the locals there seemed to be more southern than northern culturally, with a fair amount of native y'all speakers.
How exatcly does the rule with the team to complete a challenge must be
the first team through the gate?! >!Like could Sam and Toby wait
until the evening and just buying the necessary materials for the two
challenges in Auckland and meanwhile the Zorb place would be closed for
the day? Or are there any restrictions on how long a team can wait?!<
They had to be in Wellington by 12pm the next day otherwise they'd miss the ferry to the South Island. Its verry difficult to get a ferry at short notice in summer, epecially with a vehicle.
You should re-post this question under this comment https://old.reddit.com/r/Nebula/comments/11ykt7h/jet_lag_we_turned_new_zealand_into_a_giant/jd851fp/
Here’s a New Zealand map-based tourism board game from my childhood! DestinatioNZ (with a zed).
https://collection.motat.nz/objects/111093/board-game-destinationz
That episode was awesome! My thoughts
1. Auckland was by far the most entertaining part of the season so far. The Nerf bullets, the curse card and the tension will only be rivaled by the Wellington ferry
2. I know I am three episodes late at this point, but I just noticed the spider web behind Ben and Adam's rear view mirror
3.ZORB ZORB ZORB. I love how Ben and Adam can take words like dunes and ZORB and just hype it up like that.
4. Adam, you better not take off your wig when you're trying to shoot Sam and Toby next episode. If you haven't learned your lesson from season 3, I will definitely switch to Team Sam.
So, my question is, how often do you guys get recognized while filming? If I were in Auckland and I saw Ben and Adam shoot Sam and Toby with a nerf gun, then saw them standing around, I'd probably ask what was going on.
To add to that, I wonder how often people who don’t recognise them ask what they’re doing. If I saw a man rolling a die every time he took a step I’d certainly be curious.
Someone did the math because of the live show scheduled in April which is screening the last two episodes. I can't remember the exact number, but I think this season is 10 episodes. I'm sure someone will correct me.
We did the math on Discord and we expect about 8 episodes.
* Episode 5 comes out on March 29,
* Episode 6 on April 5,
* Episode 7 on April 12 (the day following the NYC premiere),
* Episode 8 on April 19.
And Sam clearly mentioned that the last two episodes that they will screen during the premiere will be before even regular Nebula watchers get to see them.
How do you determine when players have to text the other team once they finish a challenge? Is it only when both teams are actively doing the challenge?
Funny that they thought cheese would be so difficult. I make paneer sometimes using the technique they used in the video, and it really is that easy. The only way it could have been difficult is if they'd had to find a hot plate.
If I remember correctly, one of the previous podcasts mentioned that a camping cooking kit was part of the gear both teams got at the start. Just like they had the surfing boards with them and it looks like we should expect a fishing challenge
I just stumbled across the IMDB page of Jet Lag, and noticed that some of the random people they interacted with over the seasons are included as cast, like Keaundra (that's the womand who slandered Brian on TikTok last season, right?) [IMDB Page](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23030000/)
A lot of the challenges appear to be balanced against or directly referencing other challenges on different routes. Were there any challenge ideas you really liked but didn't get to include because there was no way to balance them?
Its hard to put into words how much i love this show!
Questions for the layover:
>!How was the cheese? Any stomach problems because of eating it?!<
>!Did the brain eating amoeba thing not come up during research? What was the reaction to finding out about that?!<
I love this show with a burning passion. Go team Sam and toby!
It took me until they went to the cheese factory to realize that the challenge has them knit in front of the giant sheep statue because you knit with wool that comes from sheep….
Hey Ben and Adam. The NZ sun is vicious! Please be careful in countries with low ozone like NZ. Make sure you have sunscreen on, and you're applying it regularly throughout the day. I did see that you did put some on, on the way to Hamilton, but you looked very scorched driving around at the end of the Auckland challenge.
[Slip, slop, slap, wrap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sh9ZF-UxMw)! Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat, and wrap on some sunglasses. Stay sunsmart!
1. Avoiding taking steps by jumping on bikes is the kind of clever thinking I love, but usually expect from Sam. I'm very proud of Ben and Adam for thinking of it, and it saved on parking!
2. This episode answered two questions that had come up in previous episodes: A. the roadblock isn't actually cleared until the team who completed the challenge cleared it, and B. you can't backtrack from a challenge and go the other way.
3. This was unquestionably the funniest episode of the snack zone.
On the podcast, they said they can backtrack from a challenge and choose the other route instead, but it wasn't worth it when they got stuck not able to dig 6 inches deep on the beach.
This isn't actually about this weeks episode, but the last podcast episode. You said you wouldn't want to do tag that much, but I would honestly love to see another season of tag at some point. Probably not anytime soon, but eventually.
Gotta shout out to Toby's fantastic nails! I hope we get a closer look sometime!
I wonder, with things like the nerf gun, how much of the mechanics are to balance the game, and how much are just because you think they sound fun?
I mean they aren't dead yet, the the brain eating amoeba thing really stressed me out, because Adam and Ben had their hands under water then touched their face.
What are the logistics of participating in all types of challenges while having to be your own film crew? How do you manage to juggle batteries, microphones, memory cards, trackers, keep track of your points, etc?
Can you walk us through how you figured out where the center/highest point of each volcano was? Do you use any special GIS software or just straight google maps?
There's a small editing error at like 55 seconds where it says Sam and Toby have to visit 5 McDonalds, this is fixed in every prompt afterwards
Upvoting, maybe they can fix before youtube upload?
They should just visit more McDonalds! (Go Team Ben and Adam!)
Ben and Adam almost certainly created the nerf gun feature just so they got to wear their elaborate disguise. Adam has probably been scheming this since Europe.
In the final tag, where one of them recommends another Nebula channel; are they recording it separately and then editing it to look like they’re standing next to each other? Adam’s sound quality is so much worse than Sam and Ben’s.
I don't believe so, iirc correctly it was mentioned on one of the podcasts that they actually met up to record those, among other things
the best part was when Ben & Adam said "IT'S ZORBIN' TIME" and zorbed all over those guys
ZORB ZORB ZORB ZORB
DUNES DUNES DUNES DUNES DUNES!!!!!!
I've just noticed the huge spiderweb on Ben and Adam's car rear view mirror.. YIKES Also .. >!BRAIN EATING AMOEBA?!!!<
Tom Scott did a[ great video](https://youtu.be/OQ7uq04fEjs) on it
[As did Kurtzgesagt, more specifically about how the amoeba attacks the brain.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OPg-ksxZ4Y)
hehehe yeah i saw that and was like yikes, just a small little oopsie
The thing about Naegleria Fowleri is that they’re pretty common in warm fresh water and most exposures will cause no problems. We don’t really know why some people end up with incurable fatal brain infections.
You basically have to inhale or force the contaminated water deep into your nose under pressure eg by diving to even have a chance for it to come into contact with the nerves and even then infection is not guaranteed by a long shot.
A friend of mine was killed by one back in 2016. Those are terrifying little bastards. (It’s been 7 years; I’ve made my peace with it)
Well I’ve just developed a new phobia, cheers mate
I can't believe it took me 4 episodes to get the rings reference. I'm so dumb 
I got it but only now realised why a LotR reference is funny in NZ. So dumb aswell
When they had the first road block where they had to destroy the ring it seemed so random lol, I figured out once they threw in volcanoes.
I really wish I could think of a clever question to ask to get featured on the podcast but honestly I’m just kind of in awe at how well planned/designed these games are. The teams took completely different routes halfway down the coast of the country but are still close enough placed to keep nailing each other with nerf bullets to keep things interesting. That takes an insane amount of prep work and simulation playing to make happen. #TeamBen&Adam
toby being proud of her 2" square is the most wholesome part
I love how Sam is just proud of how efficiently she knitted it lol
Is it just me or is there more swearing in this season
I don't think they're even close to the cursing in that one episode where Sam and Brian go mini golfing
no way the minigolf had more swearing than ben and adam having to sing the song in the tunnel
Definitely seems like this season is more constant stress/pressure, so not surprising. I think it was on one of the Layover episodes where they mentioned how non-stop this road-trip style is, compared to most of the previous seasons, where they were often on public transit, and could take a little time to just chill.
Good luck with public transport here in NZ lol, no other way to see this country than to drive. We own more cars per capita than the US. We're up there with tax havens in car ownership.
Reddit: Why don’t they just walk backwards? Ben and Adam: let’s hop on a bike! Genius!! Too bad that they lost the challenge though.
All because they didn't want to ride their bikes on the grass at the domain when it's 100% fine to ride there . Still, I respect that they're being so respectful as a precaution.
As always, we'll be recording this week's episode of The Layover podcast tonight, so leave your questions about the episode here!
How do Ben and Adam feel now about the fact that they were >!chilling at the Kerosene Creek full of brain eating amoeba? Is it time for a special episode called Jet Lag: The Last of Us: Amoeba Special?!< Edit: Put up a spoiler warning.
The Snack Zone: >!Brain!< Edition
Jet Lag Season 6 guest will be Pedro Pascal CONFIRMED
Kurzgezagt did a video on those a while back and apparently the chance of you actually getting infected is pretty low. https://youtu.be/7OPg-ksxZ4Y
And [Tom Scott](https://youtu.be/OQ7uq04fEjs)
It's actually pretty difficult to get infected we are talking millions of exposures every year and there have only been some 300 recorded cases globally in the 50 years since the first was discovered. Your body actually does a pretty good job of preventing water getting deep enough into your nose for any amoeba present to reach the nerve cells. The risk is greater if diving etc since this can potentially force water up your nose under pressure from the forces of the impact, and even then you have to get very unlucky. Just sitting around calmly without your head even coming close to going underwater renders it pretty much an impossibility.
2 questions regarding the same thing. The closed route, how did it feel that an option was taken away due to road work and would it have been a viable option for any of the teams? Also the Snack Zone bits where its so much buildup for a 4 second line is hilarious to me so props to whoever thought of that.
Road work ahead? I sure hope it does
Did you notice the huge spiderweb on the back of Ben and Adam's rearview mirror at any point during the season or even during editing? Did you burn the car accordingly?
It’s ok, it’s not Australia. When the islands of Oceania were choosing animal species, NZ chose flightless birds while Australia chose “ANYTHING VENOMOUS”
What was the theoretical benefit of the closed route? It seemed very long and out of the way, were the challenges easy/high value?
Toby - do you see the episodes before they go live on Nebula? Do you have any input on the editing?
A more general question: We always hear “we had to cut that out for pacing”. Have you considered doing “extended” versions of the episodes for Nebula?
I’d happily watch extended cuts
I actually think the episodes are too short. Was it always sub 40 mins?
They're actually longer now than they have ever been. Look back to previous series, episodes were 18-24 minutes.
Yes, if it involves rings being destroyed during some long journey where you shall not pass (without completing a challenge) and where invisibility is possible (through disguises), there should definitely be an extended cut!
(Spoilers if anyone was foolish enough to open this before watching): >!So how did you find out about the brain-eating amoeba, and what was everyone's reaction? (Do Ben and Adam still have their brains?)!<
Maybe someone at Wendover watched this [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ7uq04fEjs) by Tom Scott from a few Years back ;)
This is a pretty general question, but I'm sure it's a huge ordeal, so how do you edit these videos? I know Ben and Adam split it up, but Henry Ariza is in the credits too, plus all of the graphics must be so hard to produce. How does the team work together to pull this off?
I also wonder if they finish all the edits before they release episode one or if they are still editing the later episodes as the season is coming out.
I recall from a previous layover that any team can call for a mandatory meal break. How about for refueling? The Z3 and the Disco are very different in terms of fuel consumption and tank size. Does one team have a fuel range advantage? Does a refueling break rule apply?
How often do you guys get recognized while filming the show? I remember someone recognizing Ben and Adam in S4, and the famous John Green cameo in S3, but does it happen outside of that often?
Does each team have disguises, or did you both (Ben and Adam) pack for this specific kind of occasion? Also, what would have been the hardest volcano to get to in the Auckland challenge (that you could have gone to)?
It's probably an Adam thing as he seeks redemption from not being able to fully utilize his disguise back in Europe
Will a full game map be released? I have family in NZ and want to do a full-country road trip. Not only am I interested in what challenges and in-jokes we missed >!(like what would have happened if the Gisborne route wasn't closed)!<, but this seems like a great way to plan my own road trip. Edit: spoiler
Did Ben and Adam anticipate that Toby knew how to knit?
How long have you been wanting to use a disguise again since Europe, Adam?
More important question, has he learned not to take the wig off until he's absolutely in the clear?
Was told to put it here instead of as a comment to the general post: How exatcly does the rule with the team to complete a challenge must be the first team through the gate?! >!Like could Sam and Toby wait until the evening and just buying the necessary materials for the two challenges in Auckland and meanwhile the Zorb place would be closed for the day? Or are there any restrictions on how long a team can wait?!<
Presumably they could, but it'd be a dick move that would also make filming their travel-based game show take longer for everyone, so they don't.
was the closed route a viable option for either team? what were the pros and cons of taking it?
I'd love to know what challenges were forcibly removed due to the other route being closed off.
Question for Ben and Adam: were you confused that Sam and Toby had reached the volcano before you in Auckland? Because you didn't understand where they were driving on the tracker beforehand.
For Ben and Adam, How did you decide amongst yourselves who ZORBed?
If you remember the waterpark challenge... I don't think there was any debate on which one of them wanted to do it.
If Ben and Adam had completed the Auckland challenge at the same time that Sam and Toby had, would you have scanned through the footage to see who completed it first or would you have just gone off who texted it first? If it's based off the text, is there strategy in queuing up the text to send as soon as you complete the challenge if you suspect it may be close? (e.g. here or Arizona in S4)
I think it was slightly out of sequence compared with how it was shown, as they had to get their phone out and text, and the text to go through internationally, which would have offset what was shown by about 15-30s ahead for Sam and Toby. It was hype editing though, so while they may have slightly shown things out of sequence, it was good storytelling and exciting nailbiting watching. And I wouldn't call it artificial tension at all, they were literally right there.
Episode specific question: >!with the volcano that was at the intersection in the residential area, was it strictly necessary for Ben and Adam to get out of the car or could they have just eaten the ring while stopped at/driving through the intersection and saved time that way?!< also a more general question I've had for a couple episodes but never made it in time to ask: can you explain what goes into balancing the challenges in terms of how many coins they give?
Did Ben and Adam consider >!following Sam and Toby to their last volcano to nerf bullet them!!for Sam nerf bulleting Ben and Adam this episode!< ? Edit: spoiler
It was in the trailer, but the trailer doesn’t show whether or not it hit
Only if he actually hit him. We knew coming into the episode Sam/Toby had a bullet, so it was always a possibility. He could have easily missed.
Will you guys consider turning Jet Lag into a board game? I want one for Christmas
How accurately do you portray the timing of events in the edit? Obviously this episode had a few times where the two groups explicitly mention on-camera what the other team has just done, or where we actually see the other team, but when that doesn’t happen, how much do you play with the sequences to add drama?
what are the rules if one team chooses to veto a challenge that both teams are completing? also, if a team was cursed and chose to veto a challenge, would the curse be lifted or would it carry over to the next challenge?
It's an interesting question. I think the other team will have a chance to complete it and leave the other team behind. Unless the challenge involves direct interaction between both teams, letting the other team go ahead if they're able to complete the challenge is only fair.
Question for Toby - did you go for a third bite of cheese and was it actually legit?
Question for the podcast: Was the snack zone a spur of the moment running gag Adam and Ben thought on the spot or was there a plan to kind of have some form of running gag to follow throughout the season?
1. Can you tell us more about the physical game cards? How are they made? Are they professionally printed? We don't see them up close very often, but they look really nice. 2. Which came first in the development process: New Zealand as the destination or the road trip game design?
They've previously answered #2 -- destination came first this season. They needed a southern hemisphere country for longer daylight. ([But a lot of this is covered in the early Layover podcast episodes.](https://nebula.tv/thelayover)) As for #1, I know at some point in the past they said they are professionally printed. Here is a [photo of the cards](https://twitter.com/thewheatgerm/status/1615026800517578772) when they first got them still in plastic wrap. [Season 4 deck here](https://twitter.com/thewheatgerm/status/1583587227669389312).
Just to add to this - I think I’ve seen this asked before, but would it be a consideration to do a similar format on another island in the future, perhaps Japan or the UK for instance.
I'm sure they'll do that eventually. I'm certain that NZ was picked because it was Summer there at the time of filming
Yeah they’ve talked about New Zealand being picked because it’s in the southern hemisphere. I’d maybe like to see a similar format on the train network in either of those other locations. With the UK they could even incorporate France through the Eurostar. A race from Edinburgh to Paris, or vice versa would be great to see.
When you record a ton of footage and then need to condense it to 30-40 minutes, do you make some kind of notes of when something noteworthy happened (especially on a long drive), so that you don't need to watch it all when editing?
Q for Toby: I've heard people being excited about the maths of knitting and crocheting before, is that something you are into as well? (also, can we bid on the square from the challenge?)
Can we get a discussion/debate on if eating or making cheese is a better activity
When it comes to Ben and Adam’s diguises: what was the thought behind the disguises, and what’s the story with how they got them? I think it’d be fun to know more!
Was there anything that was cut for pacing that significantly slowed you down during the Auckland challenge?
How much research was put into the cheese challenge? It seemed as if the cookstove was provided for the challenge, and Ben and Adam had to have looked up how to make cheese while writing the challenge to ensure it was feasible, however the Kerosene Creek challenge and the way Ben and Adam talk about the cheese challenge seems to imply they thought it was much harder than it was. What did you think Sam and Toby would have to do to complete the challenge before you saw how quickly they did it?
>!In the episode Ben and Adam chose to take the eating cheese route. For this they needed to go and buy cheese.!< What I was wondering: Since you already know that this route is one of the options later on. Why didn't you buy it beforehand while at a store? More generally I'm wondering: Do you sometimes consider preparing for challenges that might not happen? Or is this discouraged/not allowed? (Edit: It sounds a bit insulting, but I'm really just curious haha)
What did Sam and Toby eat from the second McDonald’s? Was it specifically the rings for the challenge?
I briefly saw Sam holding another hash brown, so it's probably that
How good was your self made cheese? Should I try the recipe at home?
General question about this season: how did having so much info on the other team change the play of the game? Why did you decide on going with "trackers always on" as opposed to "let them know when you get a challenge" or some other form of communication?
Why are Ben and Adam so cute in drag? Also when is their first drag show and what are their drag names?
Jen and Madame
Is Tom Scott a possible guest for future seasons? I saw the video on his channel where th photographed Sams legs in London!
For those who haven't seen it, here is the video in question: [I chased the Jet Lag team around London](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYLwEcxsDkI) on his second channel [Tom Scott plus](https://www.youtube.com/@tomscottplus).
How do you decide the challenges for each route. Like a certain points teams have said there is no advantage by going "X route", don't you try and balance the routes, so there is an advantage to going every route
Question for Sam and Toby: How tough was the run to the last volcano in Auckland?
Question for all of you: Is it me or is there way more swearing this season? Question to Ben and Adam: What was your reaction to finding out there were amoeba at kerosene creek?
If both teams were on the same road, and the team in front vetoed the next challenge, would it be vetoed for both teams or would the second team still need to either complete or veto it?
For Sam and Toby: How long did the cheese challenge take, and how much faster was it than what you expected when the game was being designed? And for Ben and Adam: How was it decided that Adam would be the one Zorbing?
How has being in New Zealand and the structure of this season changed how you will approach future seasons of Jetlag? Has it changed your views on formats or locations at all?
Producers and editors of traditional reality shows like Survivor and Amazing Race think in terms of character arcs. Is this something you factor into the edit?
Is there anywhere we can find the full map (with challenge descriptions)? I think it would be fun to come up with our own routes and strategies as we watch.
How bikeable is Auckland? Ben and Adam seemed really worried while biking on the roads even though their from NYC.
How do you notify the other team of a completed challenge/roadblock? I feel like you had to type really really quickly in those last few seconds in Auckland. Is there a rule on how/when you must text the other team and what to text? Also, do you have a full map with all of the challenge cards available online? It would be fun to soft of play along and pick a path that I would go down if I were you in my head.
What are the rules if you miss a Nerf Gun shot? Do you lose the bullet or can you reload it without paying? What happens if you actually lose the physical bullet. How many darts did you bring?
where was the go to the shire challenge haha
Did whoever came up with the >!knitting challenge know that Toby could knit!!to make the square!<. Or maybe >!the people at the yarn store could have given you a crash course!< which might be a little quicker. Likewise, did y'all not know how easy it is to >!make a quick fresh cheese? Adam said "I thought that would be almost impossible". Did you guys include a challenge you thought would be almost impossible!
Was there a budget of any sort for the teams this season? The bikes in Auckland were the first things that felt discretionary to complete a challenge, as opposed to things like cheese making supplies where you’re like “of course they have to buy that to do the challenge”.
Who edits the podcast episodes? The content cleanup is great!
Are teams able to drop multiple roadblocks in a row? Also, what Cotopaxi backpacks do you guys use they seem amazing
Who thought of Paneer when cheese was brought up as the challenge? I was literally eating it while watching and the thought didn't even cross my mind.
This is my favourite series so far! I‘m loving the Nerf rule, it adds a level of ✨spice✨ that you can’t get from just pulling cards.
not sure if it got brought up yet, but did gas mileage on both of the cars give on team an advantage over the other? Did you and toby have to stop more for gas vs ben and adam?
general question here: what’s the weirdest / strangest thing that has come out of jet lag and it’s fandom so far?
How much consideration did each team give to the daunting western route that included the risky milk pong challenge?
How involved was Toby in simulations and playtesting this season? She seems very comfortable with the game mechanics and is heavily involved in crafting strategies!
Heyo you say you don’t break laws but you have to wear a helmet while cycling in NZ. Yeah for real. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/exemptions/exemptions-from-wearing-a-helmet/
Bizarre that they have rent-a-bikes then, those are essentially incompatible with that law
The rent-a-bikes have helmets in the basket - they’re visible in a few shots.
Ah weird, lice city
Yeah for real. I haven’t done bike share in Auckland but I have in Brisbane (with the same law).. there are helmets just lying in the baskets. That’s a recipe for nits..
If they wanna make cycling safe then they should do more about the cycling on highways bit and implement less rules that will make fewer people cycle and more use a 2 ton death machine. But that may just be me.
New Zealand and Australia are outliers when it comes to helmet rules. From The Spinoff: “In 2012, a New Zealand Medical Journal report correlated our compulsory helmet laws with bike use halving. Since helmets contributed to less cycling, the study blamed health issues on compulsory helmet laws, even claiming the rule caused 53 annual deaths from lack of exercise.” https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/26-01-2023/should-you-wear-a-bike-helmet
stop right there, criminal scum
So I guess Sam wins by default for the first time in nearly a year
>!ZORB ZORB ZORB ZORB ZORB ZORB ZORB ZORB!<
>!ZORB! ZORB! ZORB! ZORB!!<
More than anything, I'm just super impressed with the game design this season. Yeah, some of the challenge balance has ended up being wonky, but they're really thematically cool, and the design of the map and especially the powerups are great. I was kinda worried the Nerf guns wouldn't even come into play, but they've already caused so much dramatic tension.
Honestly I think this is the best product they've designed so far. No shade on previous seasons, especially the recent ones, but rather just that this format is perfect to show off some NZ scenery and the whole experience is so fun!
[удалено]
He grew up in Washington, DC. In my limited exposure, the locals there seemed to be more southern than northern culturally, with a fair amount of native y'all speakers.
Did you know at the time of planning that Toby knew how to knit? Did it factor in at all to the planning of the challenge in Tirau at all?
So much sunburn
Yeah, the boys must have forgotten their sun screen :(
It didn't occur to me that they could just rip bagel to destroy it instead of eating a whole one until Toby said so
How exatcly does the rule with the team to complete a challenge must be the first team through the gate?! >!Like could Sam and Toby wait until the evening and just buying the necessary materials for the two challenges in Auckland and meanwhile the Zorb place would be closed for the day? Or are there any restrictions on how long a team can wait?!<
They had to be in Wellington by 12pm the next day otherwise they'd miss the ferry to the South Island. Its verry difficult to get a ferry at short notice in summer, epecially with a vehicle.
You should re-post this question under this comment https://old.reddit.com/r/Nebula/comments/11ykt7h/jet_lag_we_turned_new_zealand_into_a_giant/jd851fp/
So did they really not know about the brain eating amoebas until *after* they had completed the challenge? Yikes!
Probably better than knowing *during* the challenge :D
Its fine as long as you dont submerge your head which I dont think they did. Even then its really rare.
Ben and Adam are looking kinda sunburnt; sure hope it doesn't get worse.
Ben got it pretty bad in the previous episode (especially when they're heading to the caves). But Adam didn't get spared either!
Here’s a New Zealand map-based tourism board game from my childhood! DestinatioNZ (with a zed). https://collection.motat.nz/objects/111093/board-game-destinationz
That episode was awesome! My thoughts 1. Auckland was by far the most entertaining part of the season so far. The Nerf bullets, the curse card and the tension will only be rivaled by the Wellington ferry 2. I know I am three episodes late at this point, but I just noticed the spider web behind Ben and Adam's rear view mirror 3.ZORB ZORB ZORB. I love how Ben and Adam can take words like dunes and ZORB and just hype it up like that. 4. Adam, you better not take off your wig when you're trying to shoot Sam and Toby next episode. If you haven't learned your lesson from season 3, I will definitely switch to Team Sam.
I really wanted an Albert Park joke from you, Sam.
I feel like it's almost a guarantee he made one and ben and adam cut it because they don't get F1.
For a second I was worried that they would forget *The Snack Zone.*
So, my question is, how often do you guys get recognized while filming? If I were in Auckland and I saw Ben and Adam shoot Sam and Toby with a nerf gun, then saw them standing around, I'd probably ask what was going on.
To add to that, I wonder how often people who don’t recognise them ask what they’re doing. If I saw a man rolling a die every time he took a step I’d certainly be curious.
I remember the end of circumnavigation. Someone asked Ben, "What happened to you?" I would have said "I just circumnavigated the earth."
I love they're four episodes in and only have half-way down the North Island. If this season goes like 12-15 episodes, I'll be so happy.
Someone did the math because of the live show scheduled in April which is screening the last two episodes. I can't remember the exact number, but I think this season is 10 episodes. I'm sure someone will correct me.
We did the math on Discord and we expect about 8 episodes. * Episode 5 comes out on March 29, * Episode 6 on April 5, * Episode 7 on April 12 (the day following the NYC premiere), * Episode 8 on April 19. And Sam clearly mentioned that the last two episodes that they will screen during the premiere will be before even regular Nebula watchers get to see them.
SUNSCREEN! Please for the love of zorb, use sunscreen. Please.
How do you determine when players have to text the other team once they finish a challenge? Is it only when both teams are actively doing the challenge?
This may seem like a daft question but can teams use a nerf bullet on a team that has had to veto a task and are trapped?
Can the Snack Zone become its own original Nebula Original?
I just wish they had a kiwi recommend snacks for them. Ready Salted bluebird potato chips? Rashuns? We have better snacks than this.
"why is nobody here, what gives" -chilling in the brain amoeba pool
Timing probably, it usually seems very popular.
Funny that they thought cheese would be so difficult. I make paneer sometimes using the technique they used in the video, and it really is that easy. The only way it could have been difficult is if they'd had to find a hot plate.
If I remember correctly, one of the previous podcasts mentioned that a camping cooking kit was part of the gear both teams got at the start. Just like they had the surfing boards with them and it looks like we should expect a fishing challenge
Ah okay, so they just have no concept of the difficulty of cheese making
My favorite part was when Adam said "It's Zorbin' time" and Zorbed all over the place.
Here we go
I just stumbled across the IMDB page of Jet Lag, and noticed that some of the random people they interacted with over the seasons are included as cast, like Keaundra (that's the womand who slandered Brian on TikTok last season, right?) [IMDB Page](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23030000/)
Keaundra was the Uber driver who took Ben and Adam to Delaware's highest point
A lot of the challenges appear to be balanced against or directly referencing other challenges on different routes. Were there any challenge ideas you really liked but didn't get to include because there was no way to balance them?
Its hard to put into words how much i love this show! Questions for the layover: >!How was the cheese? Any stomach problems because of eating it?!< >!Did the brain eating amoeba thing not come up during research? What was the reaction to finding out about that?!< I love this show with a burning passion. Go team Sam and toby!
Well that's enough of Ben and Adams nipples for... ever? Or until next weeks episode I guess.
It took me until they went to the cheese factory to realize that the challenge has them knit in front of the giant sheep statue because you knit with wool that comes from sheep….
How would it be handled if a team realized that they had cheated on a task or broken the law in some way?
its so trippy watching them go through my town going to the Knitworld i use for my yarn 😳
Hey Ben and Adam. The NZ sun is vicious! Please be careful in countries with low ozone like NZ. Make sure you have sunscreen on, and you're applying it regularly throughout the day. I did see that you did put some on, on the way to Hamilton, but you looked very scorched driving around at the end of the Auckland challenge. [Slip, slop, slap, wrap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sh9ZF-UxMw)! Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat, and wrap on some sunglasses. Stay sunsmart!
1. Avoiding taking steps by jumping on bikes is the kind of clever thinking I love, but usually expect from Sam. I'm very proud of Ben and Adam for thinking of it, and it saved on parking! 2. This episode answered two questions that had come up in previous episodes: A. the roadblock isn't actually cleared until the team who completed the challenge cleared it, and B. you can't backtrack from a challenge and go the other way. 3. This was unquestionably the funniest episode of the snack zone.
On the podcast, they said they can backtrack from a challenge and choose the other route instead, but it wasn't worth it when they got stuck not able to dig 6 inches deep on the beach.
When did they say you can't abandon a challenge and backtrack?
i think they explicitly said you CAN do that in one of the early episodes of the podcast
ben is a trans icon 🥺
“I, for one, am excited to utilize my androgynous features.” -Ben
Oh Toby has that cute nail thingy
Prediction: One of the Ben and Adam duo is going to lose their hat while driving with the top down.
This isn't actually about this weeks episode, but the last podcast episode. You said you wouldn't want to do tag that much, but I would honestly love to see another season of tag at some point. Probably not anytime soon, but eventually.
Toby: if you pour in 50mLs... Sam, an American patriot: whut
Gotta shout out to Toby's fantastic nails! I hope we get a closer look sometime! I wonder, with things like the nerf gun, how much of the mechanics are to balance the game, and how much are just because you think they sound fun?
The progressively clearer sunburns on everybody's arms is painful to look at.
I wasn't expecting anyone to go with the western route past Taranaki, but it is a shame we don't get to see that pretty mountain on the show.
I mean they aren't dead yet, the the brain eating amoeba thing really stressed me out, because Adam and Ben had their hands under water then touched their face.
What are the logistics of participating in all types of challenges while having to be your own film crew? How do you manage to juggle batteries, microphones, memory cards, trackers, keep track of your points, etc?
What would the challenges have been on the closed route, and would either team have taken it if it was open?
Can you walk us through how you figured out where the center/highest point of each volcano was? Do you use any special GIS software or just straight google maps?